Dual gas flow device provided with cooling functionality

Abstract

A dual gas flow device including: a first cooling plate structure, a second cooling plate structure, a plurality of electrode plates, wherein the first cooling plate structure, the second cooling plate structure and the plurality of electrode plates are arranged in a stacked configuration, wherein the first cooling plate structure forms a first end of the stack and the second cooling plate structure forms a second end of the stack, wherein the plurality of electrode plates are arranged between the first cooling plate structure and the second cooling plate structure, wherein each electrode plate includes a plurality of cooling channels extending through the electrode plate, distributed along a peripheral portion of the electrode plate, each cooling channel being aligned with the corresponding cooling channel of the other electrode plates in the stack, wherein each of the first cooling plate structure and the second cooling plate structure is provided with a plurality of connecting channels, each connecting channel being configured to connect adjacent pairs of cooling channels of the electrode plates, whereby the first cooling plate structure forms a return path for cooling fluid at the first end of the stack and the second cooling plate structure forms a return path for cooling fluid at the second end of the stack enabling cooling fluid to flow through all of the cooling channels.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A dual gas flow device comprising:
 a first cooling plate structure 
 a second cooling plate structure, 
 a plurality of electrode plates, 
 wherein the first cooling plate structure the second cooling plate structure and the plurality of electrode plates are arranged in a stacked configuration, wherein the first cooling plate structure forms a first end of the stack and the second cooling plate structure forms a second end of the stack, wherein the plurality of electrode plates are arranged between the first cooling plate structure and the second cooling plate structure, 
 wherein each electrode plate comprises a plurality of cooling channels extending through the electrode plate, distributed along a peripheral portion of the electrode plate, each cooling channel being aligned with the corresponding cooling channel of the other electrode plates in the stack, 
 wherein each of the first cooling plate structure and the second cooling plate structure is provided with a plurality of connecting channels, each connecting channel being configured to connect, in a circumferential direction, adjacent pairs of the plurality of cooling channels of the electrode plates, whereby the first cooling plate structure forms a return path for cooling fluid at the first end of the stack and the second cooling plate structure forms a return path for cooling fluid at the second end of the stack enabling cooling fluid to flow through all of the cooling channels, 
 wherein the plurality of connecting channels are distributed along a peripheral portion of the first cooling plate structure and along a peripheral portion of the second cooling plate structure, wherein the peripheral portion of the first cooling plate structure and the peripheral portion of the second cooling plate structure is an edge region on the front face or back face of the first cooling plate structure and second cooling plate structure, such that the cooling fluid moves along the periphery of the stack. 
 
     
     
       2. The dual gas flow device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first cooling plate structure and the second cooling plate structure are made of a dielectric material. 
     
     
       3. The dual gas flow device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the dielectric material comprises one of a heat conductive polymer, ceramic, aluminium oxide and beryllium oxide. 
     
     
       4. The dual gas flow device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein every other of the plurality of electrode plates is an anode electrode plate and the remaining of the plurality of electrode plates are cathode electrode plates. 
     
     
       5. The dual gas flow device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each adjacent pair of the plurality of electrode plates forms an electrolytic cell. 
     
     
       6. The dual gas flow device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first cooling plate structure has a cooling fluid inlet channel connected to a first cooling channel of the cooling channels of the electrode plates and a cooling fluid outlet channel connected to a second cooling channel of the cooling channels of the electrode plates. 
     
     
       7. The dual gas flow device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the electrode plates have perimeter surfaces provided with heat fins. 
     
     
       8. The dual gas flow device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein every other of the plurality of electrode plates is an anode electrode plate and the remaining of the plurality of electrode plates are cathode electrode plates. 
     
     
       9. The dual gas flow device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein each adjacent pair of the plurality of electrode plates forms an electrolytic cell. 
     
     
       10. The dual gas flow device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the first cooling plate structure has a cooling fluid inlet channel connected to a first cooling channel of the cooling channels of the electrode plates and a cooling fluid outlet channel connected to a second cooling channel of the cooling channels of the electrode plates. 
     
     
       11. The dual gas flow device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the electrode plates have perimeter surfaces provided with heat fins.